Rail unloading and distributing means



Marv 3,...1925.

L. P. CHICOINE ET AL RAIL UNLQADING AND DISTRIBUTING MEANS Filed Aug. 2. 1924 J-YlvllllLlITllw n e m Patented Mar. 3, 1925,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS P. CHICOINE, OF VAUDREUIL, ,AND ROBER'l" KEOUGI-I, OF MONTREAL, QUEBEC,

CANADA.

RAIL UNLOADING AND DISTRIBUTING MEANS.

Application filed August 2, 1924.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that we, Louis P. Crricomn and ROBERT E. KEOUGH, subjects of the King of Great Britain, and residents of the town of Vaudreuil and city of Montreal, respectively, in the Province of Quebec, Dominion of Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rail Unloading and Distributing Means; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

Our invention relates particularly to apparatus for unloading railway rails from flat cars while the latter are in motion and for distributing the rails along the road bed as they are unloaded.

The primary object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of this type which will deposit the rails on the end s of the ties on top of the lballast section thereby guarding against the hazard of the rails rolling down the embankmentand making it possible to unload and distribute the rails across bridges, trestles and similar points where there is only a limited area to receive them.

The arduous labour of carrying the rails to the point at which they are to be laid upon the ties is consequently eliminated.

A further object is to prevent any possibility of the rails becoming accidentally displaced during the unloadingoperation.

A further object is to prevent damage to the rails by reducing the extent of the dro during the unloading operation to'a minimum.

Further objects are to provide an appara tus which may be applied to fiat cars of M. C. B. standard, which will possess great durability, and which owing to its simplified construction maybe manufactured at a comparatively low cost.k

To this end my invention consists of the combination7 construction and particular arrangement of the parts hereinafter de* scribed and illustrated and pointed out inv the claims.

For full comprehension, however, of our invention, reference must be had to the ac-` companying drawings in which similar reference characters indicate the same parts, and wherein: Y

Figure 1. is a side elevation of a flat car equipped with our invention and illustrating a rail in the act of being unloaded;

Serial No. 729,844.

Figure 2 is a detail side elevation of the Vlarge unloading hook which forms a part of our unloading apparatus;

Figure 3 is a view taken at thereto;

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on line -a Figure 2;

Figure is a side elevation of the small hook forming a part of our unloading apparatus;

Figurey 6 is a view talen at right angles thereto; and

Figure 7 is a plan view of the hook shown in Figures 5 and 6.

Referring to the accompanying drawings which illustrate the preferred embodiment of our invention, the side sill of a dat car is indicated at 2, the floor thereof at 3 and the usual stake pockets which are secured to outside faces of the side sills at 4.

Our improved unloading apparatus is adapted to be detachably mounted in these pockets and consists of preferably two supporting hook members 5-and 6, one being mounted on the carv adjacent the front end thereof as indicated in Figure l, and the other adjacent the rear.

The front hook 5 consists of a unitary casting of Uform, the outer arm 7 of which is extended upwardly above the level of the car ioor to form a guard armfor preventing lateral displacement of the rail during the unloading operation, and the inner arm 8 is extended laterally towards the 'car side as at 9 and downwardly as at 10, and the downwardly extending portion is tapered and of square cross-section as at 12 to iit the stake pocket which is correspondingly shaped; and its extreme lower end is inclined downwardly towards its side-sill bearing face as at 12a. This inclined face facilitates the insertion of the member into the pocket and also permits of a reduction in the weight of the member, while main taining a comparatively large side-sill bearing surface.

The hook in the main is of I cross-section and extends laterally from the car at right angles thereto. A roller 13 having a concaved periphery is rotatably mounted between the arms of the hook upon a horizontally disposed bolt 14 securedby a key or Cotter pin 15, that portion of the hook between the side of the car and the roller preright angles senting a downwardly inclined surface 16 to Vfacilitate the unloading movement ot each rail vfrom the car tloor to the roller.

ln order to prevent the base flanges of `Ithe rails trom jamming between the arms of Y with the principal exception that the arms ot the U are or' greater length and are extended inwardly as at 18 to locate the crotch of the hook above the ties adjacent the ends thereof so that as each rail is unloaded it will be deposited thereon in close proximity to the point at which it is to be permanently fixed.

rlhis arrangement enables the unloading and distribution of the rails across bridges7 trestles7 and the' like which has not been possible with equipment heretofore in use on" the railroads.

The rear hook consists otl a unitary casting Aoli U-form and in the main of -crosssection comprising a crotch 2O and arms 21 and 22. ay roller 23 rotatably mounted therebetween on a horizontal bolt 24 the head 25 of which is seated with a snug tit in a socket 2T in the arm 21, the walls of the socket preventing the bolt turning and becoming displaced. The opposite end ot the bolt protrndes beyond the other arm and is threaded to receive nuts 28.

Both arms are provided with lips 30 and 31 respectively which overhang the ad]acent ends of the roller and function in a similar way to the lips on the front hook.

rIlie outer guard arm 22 extends above the ileor level ot the car the same distance as the guard arm ol" the front hook while the upper end ot the other arm 2l is upwardly inclined towards the car as at 33 and is provided with a ,downward extension 34 which corresponds with the portion 10 and which is detachably mounted in. `one ot the stake pockets. This extension and the corresponding extension on the front hook have a vertical opening 35 therethrough to accommodate a stake, it required, and to provide a lighter construction.

Operation.

lgagement with the rear roller and with its upper end resting on the roller of the front hook. s the movement of the car continues the yballast retards the forward movement ot the 'ail so that the latter is caused to slide downwardly from the trout to the rear roller and vis iinally laid prone upon the top ot the ballast in parallelism with the track.

The drop from the rear roller is only approximately iitteen inches so that damage to the rail is avoided.

Yrfi/That we claim is as follows:-

i. ln a railway car, the combination with a side sill and a sta-ke pocket mounted thereon. of a rail unloading device consisting ot' a member ot' substantially U-orm, the upper end ot one arm of the member being hooked and fitting within the stake pocket.

2. ln a railway car. the combination with a side sill and a stake pocket mounted thereon, 'ot a rail unloading device consisting ot a member ot substantially U-'lorm7 the upper end of one arm or the member being hooked and fitting within the stake pocket. and a roller rotatably and horizontally mounted between the arms ot the U.

y $3. In a railway car, the combination ot a side sill, a pocket mounted thereon, and a rail unloadiiui` device mounted in the pocket, said device consisting ot a member of substantially il-torm having the upper end of one arm hooked and suspended 'from the -i' pocketj said arm being offset inwardly relatively to the car side.

4l. ln a railway car, the combination ot a side sill, a pocket mounted thereon, and a rail unloading device mounted in the pocket, said device consisting o'r a member ot substantially iJ-iorm having the upper end ot one arm hooked and suspended trom the pocket, said arm being oi'l'set inwardly relatively to the car side7 and a roller rotatably mounted between the arms ot' the U.

5. In a railway car, theI combination of a side sill, a pocket mounted thereon, and a rail unloading device mounted in the pocket, said device consisting of a member ot substantially U-torm having the upper end oil one arm hooked and suspended from the pocket, said arm being offset inwardly relatively to the car side, and a roller rotatably mounted between the arms ot the U, said roller having a coneaved periphery.

G. A rail unloading device consisting of a member ot' substantially U-orm and a roller rotatably mounted between the arms of the U, the upper end of one of said arms being hooked downwardly and the other arm being straight and extending above vthe level ot the Alirst mentioned arm.

T. rail unloading device consisting of a member of' substr` itially U-form and a roller rotatably mounted between the armsot the U, the upper end ot one of said arms being hooked downwardly and presenting an inclined top surface.

8. A rail unloading device consisting of a lill) member of substantially U-form and a roller rotatably mounted between the arms of the U, the upper end of one of said arms being hooked downwardly and presenting an inclined top surface, and the other arm being straight and extending above the level of the Inst-mentioned arm.

9. A rail unloading device consisting of a member of substantially U-orm having a. socket, a bolt extending across the arms of the U and having its head located within and snugly fitting the socket, and a roller rotatably mounted upon the bolt between the arms of the member.

l0. A. rail unloading device consisting of a member ofsubstantially U-form having a socket, a bolt extending across the arms of the U and having its head located within and snugly itting the socket, and a roller rotatably mounted upon the bolt between the arms of the member, said roller having a concaved periphery.

l1. A rail unloading device consisting of a member ot substantially U-i'orm having a socket, a bolt extending across the arms ot' the U and having its head located within and snugly fitting the socket, and a roller rotatably mounted upon the bolt between thev arms of the member, said roller having a concaved periphery, and inward projections on the arms of the member overhanging the adjacent portions of the roller.

12. A rail unloading device consisting of a member of U-orm having laterally odset arms, the upper end of one of said arms being hooked downwardly and presenting an inclined top, and a roller rotatably mounted between the said arms.

13. In a railway flat car,'the combination with a side sill having a plurality of spaced stake pockets mounted thereon, rail unloading means for discharging rails from the car during travel thereof. said means consisting of a plurality oi separate and distinct members of substantially U-form having hooked portions adapted to be detachably mounted in the pockets of the car; rollers mount-ed upon the members and located at different elevations below the floor level of the car and adapted to support a rail in position inclined downwardly towards the rear of the ycar during the unloading operation.

Ist. In a railway lat car, rail unloading means for discharging rails from the car during travel thereof, said means consisting of a plurality of separate and distinct members mounted upon and spaced along .the side of the car; rollers mounted upon the members and located at different elevations below the Hoor level of the car and adapted to support a rail in `position inclined downwardly towards the rear of the car during the unloading` operation, certain of said members being off-set inwardly relatively to the car side.

l5. In a railway car, the combination with a side-sill and a stake pocket mounted thereon, of a rail unloading device consisting of a member of substantially U-orm, the upper end of one arm of the member being hooked and iitting within the stake pocket, the lower end of the hooked portion being inclined to facilitate its insertion into the pocket.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this speciiication in the presence of two witnesses.

LOUIS l?. CHIGGINE. ROBERT E. KEOUGH.

Witnesses:

GORDON G. COOKE, MARRrn'rTE MGDONALD. 

